It was inevitable

Well, I'd never fallen or been thrown until today so I guess it was coming. I was suppose to be working with my trainer this morning. She's been working with Don and I both actually - doing ground work and riding lessons. This morning, she had to cancel at the last minute because of a family emergency. I was so disappointed at not riding Wednesday - I went ahead and tacked her up anyway - which wasn't the smartest thing to do since I was out there by myself.

I've ridden Belle and Sunny both plenty without her (Mary - my trainer) being there - but my Don or a friend has always been around. She's a wonderful natured horse - but previous owner rode her hard with spurs - and she has a tenancy to spook a little sometimes.

Well, I'm not sure if I got her with my foot the wrong way when I was mounting her or if a bee got her or what exactly happened but she took off before my right foot was in the stirrup and of course - I didn't have a handle on the reins.

So, I couldn't ever get her back under control and I finally tried to relax and let myself fall because I knew it was inevitable. I have a synthetic Abetta endurance saddle - so there isn't even a horn that I could get a good grasp on.

When I fell - I went under her almost and one of her back hooves got me in the head. It bled badly but stopped pretty quickly. I've got a knot the size of a softball. My hair is covered in dried blood - still to wobbly to take a shower and get it out. Will probably wait on Don to help me.

She immediately came back over to me and was nudging me with her muzzle trying to make sure I was ok. She definitely didn't mean to clock me with her hoof - I'm sure.

X-rays and a ct-scan showed nothing terribly wrong so I just have a concussion and a lot of soreness on my right side where I landed. MAN, I'd just finally worked through the soreness of that personal trainer and his excruciating exercises... *sigh*

They gave me a narcotic at the ER with some phenergan to try and stay ahead of the nausea. Man, am I ever a lightweight now with meds now - I always have been a little but now I REALLY am. It really got me drunk.

Lisa was the BEST as usual and came running to help me out. She came to the hospital... She helped me pick up Katie from her day camp and Paula, Cassie and Alex's grandmother is watching Katie until Don gets home since this medicine is knocking me on my butt. Lisa is fixin' to pick up my prescription.

Word spread around the farm and I've gotten phone calls all afternoon of people checking on me. Even Randy - the ferrier. I'm blessed to have such great people in my life - our lives!

Already, my mom and dad both are saying "you need to give up the horses for a while". NO way!! Mom reminded me that after her TN Walker spooked on her one day and ran with her hanging on the full radius of a 10 acre pasture - she never rode again...I just need to be more level headed and continue working with my trainer for a while and not make stupid mistakes like today and ride when I'm out there alone.

CORRECTION: Mom emailed me and said that I had it all wrong. I'm sure I got a lot wrong yesterday and maybe today being loopy on the medicine. Here is Mom's story...

As to my story! I surely did ride again. I managed to hold on until the horse tried to exit the field at the gate and Dad and the men that were there to watch me ride threw their arms up and halted her. My hands were welded to the saddle horn and rear. I could not open my fingers. One of the men pulled my fingers one at a time off the front and back of the saddle and I immediately fell backward with my foot totally jammed in the stirrup because of the sudden bolt of the horse at the beginning when this thing went out of control. I lay on the ground to the side of the horse, while Dad and the men kept her at bay and one of the men pulled my boot out of the stirrup.

Then before I could catch my breath or thank God I survived, Dad himself threw me back on the horse and I had to continue riding her until I stopped shaking and made friends with her again. Then I took her on the exhibition ride that was supposed to happen in the first place.

I rode her many times afterward! But what I told you was that I did those things to please Dad. If he was not interested or always praising me for my balance and ability to show off the horses, I would NEVER have gotten involved in horse back riding. Dad always liked horses and always had horses. I was 2 years old when I first rode Rocky, the full size Walker we had at the Old House.

The only difference between people who haven't fallen off a horse or been thrown and the people who have.... the people who HAVEN'T - just haven't yet. Just like motorcycles... only at least you aren't going 60+ mph when it happens.

What's that saying about "getting right back on the horse...". It's one of the biggest reasons I had the weight loss surgery. It's now embedded in who I am... can't give it up. Just gotta be more careful.

Leeann